Blockchain summit begins in Kochi today
TRIVANDRUM: Top blockchain experts and thought leaders from around the world will assemble in Kochi for a two-day summit from Dec.12, officials said on Tuesday.
They will share ideas and lead discussions on collaborative opportunities in leveraging the technology for the public good, and positioning Kerala as the country’s blockchain hub.
Grand Hyatt Kochi on the humanmade Bolgatty Island is the venue of the conclave, Blockhash Live 2019, organised by Kerala Blockchain Academy (KBA).
As a prelude to the event, Blockhack2019 is on Integrated Startup Complex (ISC), Kerala Technology Innovation Zone, in the Kerala port city. “The second edition offers a rare opportunity for the global businesses in blockchain to expand their operations in Kerala in particular and India in general,” the KBA said in a statement.
“The summit will be a platform to explore the disruptive potential of the blockchain technology for the public good through capacity building and promote research, development and entrepreneurship.”
The 24-hour live hackathon Blockhack2019 will have an initial short-listing of teams based on the problem description.
The theme of the hackathon is “Blockchain in Insurance.” A panel of experts in the domain of blockchain and insurance will deliver the judgement.
An initiative of the southern state government, KBA comes under the diverse portfolio of the Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management -Kerala (IIITM-K).
After its launch in 2017, the KBA had made great strides. Recently, it developed a solution to make certificates tamper-proof and easily accessible from anywhere.
The technology comes handy for expatriates who find it challenging to get their academic certificates sitting away from the country.
Blockchain is a database, mostly of financial transactions, which is saved on multiple computers and which continually grows as new transactions or “blocks” are added to it.
The continuous and public chain of data enables transactions, including certificates issued by universities and other institutions, prevents faking or any misuse.
The KBA, first of its kind institute teaching this technology, offers its services to help end faking and forgery of documents of academic qualifications.
Venture capitalists worldwide are now pouring billions into startups developing applications using this technology, which is behind cryptocurrencies, banned in India.